Liguria properties

If you are considering investing in Italy real estate, Liguria is as picturesque a region as you could dream of. The coast of Liguria, also known as the Italian Riviera, is home to dozens of splendidly unspoilt towns and villages, the most famous of which are the five that make up the Cinque Terre coast  Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

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Liguria is a mountainous stretch of land that borders the sea from France to northern Tuscany. Its sheltered coves and balmy climate first began to attract tourists in the 19th and early 20th century, notably Russian nobility. Many bought Liguria property and never returned home. It was a trend that saw resorts such as Sanremo rival the likes of Monte Carlo for glamour.

The Riviera is divided into two  Riviera di Levante to the east of the regional capital Genoa and Riviera di Ponente, to the west. The Riviera di Ponentes best-known resort is Sanremo, which has drawn admirers down the ages. As well as Russian royals, another notable foreigner who bought a property in Liguria and settled here was Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, who died in Sanremo in 1896.

These days the city is best known for its flower industry, its casino dating from 1905 and its music festival. And despite its blue-blood associations, a house, villa or other type of real estate in Liguria around this area is still affordable. If you are prepared to sacrifice proximity to the enchanting blue sea, head a few miles inland, where property in Liguria tends to be less pricey.

Other notable stops on this stretch of the Italian Riviera coast include Ventimiglia, close to the French border, Imperia and Alassio, a favoured haunt of Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s.

The Gulf of Paradise welcomes you to the eastern part of the Italian Riviera. The major village as you head east out of Genoa is scenic Camogli. This charming fishing port welcomes visitors with an array of brightly pastel-coloured buildings along the marina, a common feature of Liguria property on the coast.

It is perhaps best known for its yearly Sagra del Pesce (Fish Festival), staged on the second weekend of May and first held in 1952. Nearly three miles away lies the attractive resort of Santa Margherita Ligure and two miles further on, Portofino.

Portofino has for years attracted the rich and famous to this part of north-west Italy. It is one of those impossibly beautiful places, famed for the striking array of pastel-coloured fishermen’s houses that bring vibrant colour to its harbour.

At the eastern end of the Tigullo Gulf lies Sestri Levante, one of the Italian Rivieras liveliest resorts. It is based around a peninsula called Isola, which boasts views of the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fairy Tales, named after the legendary childrens author Hans Christian Andersen, who once stayed here.

Portofino is 20 minutes away and the breathtaking Cinque Terre coast just over an hour away. A few miles east of Sestri Levante is Levanto, the gateway to the Cinque Terre. This 20km stretch of the Liguria coast is so breathtaking that it is a Unesco World Heritage site. The best way to explore it is the five-hour hike by foot along the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path), which ensures that you avoid the hordes of tourists.

At the end of this section of the Riviera lies the Gulf of Poets, named after the likes of DH Lawrence, Shelley and Byron, who whiled away long periods here.